Suspender buckle



earner orties.

ALLEN KERNGQOD, OAFl BALTIMORE, li/ARYLANQ, .ASSGNOR TO MANUFAO. TUBING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE GlTY, OF BALTXMDRE, MARYLAND, ACORPO Barron or MARYLAND.

SUSPENIDER BUCKLE.

Patenten Aug. i5, ieee.

Application filed January 5, 1922. Serial No. 527,091. i

T 0 all 'w hom t may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN H. KnRNGooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Suspender Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

rhis invention relates to buckles designed more particularly for adjustingthe length of Suspenders and other garment supporters, straps, and the like, and it is the object of the invention to provide a novel and iinproved buckle of simple and inexpensive construction having certain advantages to be pointed out in the detailed description appearing hereinafter.

ln order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in said drawing- Figure l is an elevation of the buckle and a fragment of the part to which it is ap plied; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4C is a perspective view of the buckle detached, and Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 showing a modification.

Referring specifically to the drmvingn the buckle consists of a base plate 5 hai/*ing outstanding` side flanges or ears 6 to which latter are hinged two clamping levers 7 and 8 having gripping jaws, the jaws of lever 7 being shown at 7il and the aws of lever 8 at 8a. The gripping jaws may be serrated as shown to obtain a firm grip on the parts to be held.

The clamping levers 7 and 8 aielocated opposite one and the saine face of the plate 5, and they are of such length that they may be positioned between the side flanges 6. Each lever has side pins or studs which seat in apertures in the flanges 6 and form the hinge or pivot of the lever. rlhe pivot studs of lever 7 are shown at 7 b, and those of lever 8 are shown at Sb.

ln applying the buckle to one ofthe shoulder straps l() of a pair of Suspenders, said strap is passed along the face of the plate 5 opposite which the lever 7 is located, so as to` lie between this face of the plate and the ja'w portion 7 a of lever 7, and upon swinging said lever in the direction of the plate, its jaw por-v4 tion engages the strap and jams it against the plate, there-by causing the strap to be firmly gripped and held. Beyond the buckle, the strap is looped and its end is placed between the lplate 5 and the jaw portion 8a of lever 8, and upon swinging said lever toward the plate, its jaw portion engages the strap end and jams itt-against the plate, whereby it is securely gripped and held. lhen the lever 7 is in strap'holding position it overlaps the lever 8, and hence it is necessary to operate said lever 8 beforethe lever 7 is swung to strap gripping position. llVhen both levers have been placed in strap clamping position, the portion of the strap held by lever 7 covers the lever 8, and lever 7 lies against the outer face of said strap portion. IThe strap end, vand the lever 8 holding the same are therefore completely covered, and hence said lever cannot get caught on anything to be come accidentally disengaged to release the strap end. The plate 5 has an aperture 11 which isopposite the free end of the lever 8 so that a rod, pin or the like may be inserted through said aperture'to engage the lever and swing it back to release the strap end.

The buckle will be found especially useful in connection with Suspenders for adjustingl the length of the shoulder straps thereof. It

will not be necessaryy to inanufacurel the straps in different lengths as is thecustoinary practice, but they can all be made of the same maximum length, and adjusted by the wearer to obtain the desired length, inadditio-n to the` adjustment of the length of the looped portion of the straps. rllhus, if the shoulder straps are too long for a person of a certain build and require an adjustment of the looped portion of the straps whichwould locate the buckles too high on the personfor comfortable wear, portions of the straps held by the lever 8 can be cut off, which would locate the buckles lower down on the person. This can be readily done as the strap end is not permanently attached to the buckle by sewing it thereto as usual, but is detachably y held bythe lever 8, this being also a saving in the cost of manufacture of the Suspenders.

In the modified structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the jaws of the clamping levers 7 and 8 are not serrated, and the ends of the base plate 5 arel provided with lateral flanges 12. The jaws 7 a and 8a are so located relative to these flanges that when said aws are in gripping position they are behind and close to the flanges, so that the strap portions are jammed therebetween, `as clearly shown in Fig 5, whereby the hold on said strap portions is materially increased.

I claim:

1. A buckle comprising a base plate, and

the seine face of the plate, and having; jaws l0 movable toward and from said fece, said levers being folclzihle one over the other `when swung to Clamping position, and thev brise plato having an aperture through which is exposed the free end of the lever which is l5 beneath 'the other lever.

In testimony whereof I my signature. vALLEN H. KERNGOOD. 

